alternative stuff in the 90s was lots of drop tuning. i use it when the song says so. i agree with your not dropping if guitar does, you play octaves when they play their low tuned roots, adds that little spice.
Being from the province of Québec, Blackie was a great inspiration of mine. Here is another Québécois bass inspiration, Vincent Peak singer and bassist for Groovie Aardvark: th-cam.com/video/J26-DFbzStw/w-d-xo.html
i like a small amount of comp before my eq pedal that I boost my amp with , i enjoy the feel of it when i play high notes because my sound is kinda clean and quite dark and those high notes can get lost. And the drop tune guitar with standard guitar thing, i like that for b standard tuning with a drop b guitar, i got the idea from how frostbyte would play slipknot covers in b standard because he said it was easier in standard when the band plays drop b and he was right about it being easier and i found it to universally work for b tuned songs. It just works.
Hello Rodney and fellow metal bass maniacs! I have used compression pedals in the past with limited results perhaps because of my lack inexperience or just not hearing what I liked .....Plus and the last amp I used for many years was a Trace Elliot AH350SmX had built in compression and I dialed it in accordingly. Don’t get me started on tuning! I put together a cover band of thrash and death metal covers and some of the tunes we covered were recorded in Standard E ...and some of the death metal was to Drop D ...to C ...Drop C...etc. But most of the covers was in Standard E and to me it doesn’t sound as heavy as a bit of tuning down but I didn’t want to go too low to C and sound too far off of the originals. As I am looking for like minded players one guy is in Drop D....One guy is in E ....one guy is in C....So I put my foot down and decided to play everything in D standard ....no switching guitars for different tunings ...no adjusting my bass only to find out the guys sucks all the low end frequencies in his C tuned death machine rig..... We play in D G C F ..took me awhile to find the right guitarist We like how we can play all the classic thrash tunes in a little lower tuning ...sounds just a bit meaner thicker and not sound like the other 100 bands here locally who tune lower. And the few death metal covers we chose were recorded in D so it just worked ...with me being just a bit stubborn ....Great content as always!
The Trace Eliot gear is so great. I feel like they aren't getting their due these days. Switching around constantly can be a bitch. It seems like bands tend to go the route that they have a bunch of turnings, then they get tired of it and simplify
I've always had my compressor before my other pedals. I'm going to try it out at the end of the signal chain just to see the difference. I'm fairly new to the pedal and tone shaping aspect of bass playing. It can definitely get a little confusing trying to figure out where to place everything to achieve the tone im looking for. I appreciate the advice my man. Looking forward to trying something new. The riff at the end is killer. Definitely going to spend some time working on that tonight. Have a good Monday brother Rodney.
Compressor first is really important when blending drive and clean. Without it playing dynamics change ratio between them. I personally don't want my playing dynamics to result in volume difference but in a tone difference (play soft for warm sound and dig in for an attack that cuts through). Also it's important to keep consistent low end as without it the whole mix turns into a mess.
I use compression differently in different setups: 1. Since I have four or five basses (some are detuned for certain covers...) that are either active or passive, I think their specific sounds are more levelled that way. 2. If I use a lot of effects in combination in my loop, I tend to put my compressor at the end of the loop. I’m going to experiment and try to simplify my setup and keep it at the very end of my effects loop for a little while! Thanks for all the insights!
Great stuff man! Will have to try this out. Been spending more time building the warlock than I have been playing. Holing to get the new frets in tonight.
Thank you so much for the compression information! Much to think about there. I also do the "slap tap" thing. I think I just started doing in because I'll move around where I pluck to enhance different frequencies and sounds. So i just found it easier to vary where my plucking hand in a is planted on my bass in a horizontal way than to move my wrist vertically to be in the "proper slap" orientation. Haven't been much into tapping even tho some of my heros do. Ill be taking a bit of a look at your solo thing to start to at least have a little technique to use if I need it
Another awesome and informative video great work as always. I have also now signed up for the top level Patreon and can't wait for all the extra content. The band I'm in tune to C standard for both Bass and Guitar and seems to work out pretty well for us. I haven't got a separate Compressor but have a built in one in my Bass head and having purchase the Darkglass pedal is also has a low end compressor on it as well.
Rodney McG no problem at all hoping to learn lots from the extra bits as currently trying to write new material for my band. You can turn the compression all the way down on the Darkglass unit if you want to which is handy it’s nice being able to have separate controls for the high and low end.
Tuning is an interesting subject. It's funny. I noticed Kreator play "Riote Of Violence" in 3 different tunings throughout their career. They started in "C" standard, then D, then later E standard. I prefer that song in D. I'm a little confused about differentiating between say a drop-D vs. D-standard. If guitar is Drop-D, does bass need to be drop-D also? I tend to like guitars that are tuned down to some degree from standard. The tone always stands out to me as a heavier sound.
I appreciate that this is an older video now, but regarding the tapping vs. slapping segment; was Doug Wimbish doing this or something like it when he was with Living Colour?
The first time I ever played something in drop D, I thought it was kind of dumb. It seemed way more flexible to me to just go to D standard for everything. At the cost of sacrificing a couple mostly useless high notes, you can still play most of the E standard stuff (except open string notes of course) just by shifting position a couple frets. This raises another question, what are your thoughts on using a capo in a lower standard tuning occasionally to get back up to E standard equivalent?
"Just try it out." Absolutely! There is no right/wrong/absolute/final word on anything with gear. You have to experiment to find what works best for you. If you don't you're really selling yourself short and limiting your ability to maximize your tone. It's like a writer saying they're only going to use 23 letters or a painter saying they're only going to use a few of the primary colors. Just try it out in every possible configuration.
very cool episode (as always, really)! hope the patreon/subscribestar thing works out for you. as for drop-tunings, I prefer Drop-D. I am very much inspired by Tool and since they almost exclusively play in drop d, I kinda "grew up" with that tuning, while learning bass. sounds stupid, but it kinda feels like home, when playing. later I really got into Black Sabbath and Down, so I adopted a lot of C# standard tuning, which I actually like more than the "more popular" Drop-C. edit: It's a bit off topic, but I always wondered what your thoughts are on buying a "new expensive bass" vs upgrading a cheaper bass with new pickups. I own a relatively cheap Ibanez bass (~350€) and was thinking about getting new EMG pickups, since the ones that are in the bass lack a certain definition and power, so to speak. the woods are solid and I like the playability, but I am unsure if it's worth it.
I tend towards C# myself. Most of the Voice Of Dissent album is C#. My view on the bass thing is, price is irrelevant. If you have a bass you like, it's the best one for you. I would go for a pickup replacement if you enjoy it. Worst comes to it, you can resell it, or put it in something you buy later. Thanks for the kind words on the channel!
Whatever sounds good is what I go with. If you like tight and sharp - go for it! If you like and grinding. It's all good too. Keeps everyone from sounding the same!
crap... great topic. i had always problems with compression. i'm usually pop bass player nowadays, but when i played metal it was still 'clean'. so when i had Line6 floorboard it was juz amp+cab sims and then it came to compressors. main issue i have through those years - i use light to mid compression, but that mid, still biased from rehearsal to rehearsal (i'm gonna get back to this) because something is not right. every string is fat, when considering frequencies, but G? C string? even if i play harder they will not sound as good and loud as D string. my luthier setup this bass by intonation, i made up some changes to pickups alteration... still the same. i don't like to have too much compressed sound, so i don't know what to do, especially that Line6 floors can't have comp+limiter at same time. second thing, that i noticed throughout years... atmospheric pressure. i play rehearsals for many of years in same spot.everyone have their devices setup the same as week before, same setup on instruments, same setup on power amp and same speakers. never we've been hearing us the same, just some time there was a sweet spot that sound blew ust through a tide of music without any thinking about it, because it sounds so well. so for me - compression is a very hard subject even because that silly thing as atmospheric pressure! ("hectopascals" if i said sth wrong :D)
Everything is a variable. And sometimes things don't change, but you hear things different because of your mood, ,health, etc. It's a constantly changing game!
Thanks for the compression breakdown been trying different things with my hyper luminal it's so cool how you can shape your tone. My issue was with my vpjr tuner volume peda and its fx input but I think it got it now. And the second and 3 topic boy I have to learn the fretboard so I can follow better. And yes being part of the chat was great this past weekend really cool ppl on there. Not sure if you have covered this before but when you where talking about box shapes do you have a video on different shape or is it power chord shapes your referring to? Anyway great topic this one and microscope kickass looking forward to more of those 🤘🔥
Any thoughts on Evan Brewer’s tapping technique in the metal scene. I always found it interesting how his style is a little different compared to some of the other metal slap guys.
Even does great stuff. I always saw him as coming from the Stu Hamm school of tap and slap. His melodic sense reminds me a lot of things like Flow My Tears The Policeman Said from SH
always throw my comp after the eq when trying to sculpt tone. creates a convenient box for your peramters to sit in, feel like. everything feels much more balanced but then again that is what a compressor does.. also does this guy have a blue velvet poster??
We play in C#/drop B....I stay in E440. I'm used to it & it sllows me more flexibility, I feel.....We may start switching to C or A, then I'll tune a 2nd bass down......Thoughts??
If you use the compressor built-in to the head, that counts as the end of the chain right? That's the only compressor I've ever used. So, if doing that it would most likely be more beneficial to try a compressor pedal near the beginning of the chain? I don't use a compressor pedal currently, but am going to get one and play around with it. My board currently is: Bass - Tuner - Envelope - Fuzz - Volume - OD - Distortion - Chorus - Phaser - Delay - Amp Was also thinking of adding an EQ pedal, but not sure where to put it (was thinking near end of the chain to even out the dirt). Have never played with an EQ pedal either because of the EQ on the head....
@@RodneyMcG I've looked in the manual and searched the internets for wiring schematics and can't find anywhere saying whether it comes first or last. It's a Hartke LX8500
alternative stuff in the 90s was lots of drop tuning. i use it when the song says so. i agree with your not dropping if guitar does, you play octaves when they play their low tuned roots, adds that little spice.
I rock ADADG tuning mostly
Ever thought about doing an episode on Blackie from VOIVOD,?
Yup!😉
Being from the province of Québec, Blackie was a great inspiration of mine. Here is another Québécois bass inspiration, Vincent Peak singer and bassist for Groovie Aardvark: th-cam.com/video/J26-DFbzStw/w-d-xo.html
Thanks, Kim. I'll check it out
YESSSSSSSSS
Brilliant as always!
Thank you! Cheers!
i like a small amount of comp before my eq pedal that I boost my amp with , i enjoy the feel of it when i play high notes because my sound is kinda clean and quite dark and those high notes can get lost. And the drop tune guitar with standard guitar thing, i like that for b standard tuning with a drop b guitar, i got the idea from how frostbyte would play slipknot covers in b standard because he said it was easier in standard when the band plays
drop b and he was right about it being easier and i found it to universally work for b tuned songs. It just works.
Hello Rodney and fellow metal bass maniacs! I have used compression pedals in the past with limited results perhaps because of my lack inexperience or just not hearing what I liked .....Plus and the last amp I used for many years was a Trace Elliot AH350SmX had built in compression and I dialed it in accordingly. Don’t get me started on tuning! I put together a cover band of thrash and death metal covers and some of the tunes we covered were recorded in Standard E ...and some of the death metal was to Drop D ...to C ...Drop C...etc. But most of the covers was in Standard E and to me it doesn’t sound as heavy as a bit of tuning down but I didn’t want to go too low to C and sound too far off of the originals. As I am looking for like minded players one guy is in Drop D....One guy is in E ....one guy is in C....So I put my foot down and decided to play everything in D standard ....no switching guitars for different tunings ...no adjusting my bass only to find out the guys sucks all the low end frequencies in his C tuned death machine rig..... We play in D G C F ..took me awhile to find the right guitarist We like how we can play all the classic thrash tunes in a little lower tuning ...sounds just a bit meaner thicker and not sound like the other 100 bands here locally who tune lower. And the few death metal covers we chose were recorded in D so it just worked ...with me being just a bit stubborn ....Great content as always!
The Trace Eliot gear is so great. I feel like they aren't getting their due these days. Switching around constantly can be a bitch. It seems like bands tend to go the route that they have a bunch of turnings, then they get tired of it and simplify
I always put my compression last because that's what billy sheehan does. I learned about compression from his dvd
He does explain it well. I've seen him discuss it a few times
I have one guitar is tuned all D5, another to an open D major chord, so I sometimes drop D my bass
Dammit too late for me to bass but I’m gonna try this! I love these tutorials. I try pretty much all of them I think. Thanks Rodney!
Let me know how it works for you 🤘
Tagged you on Instagram!
Love it, have a thumbs up!
I've always had my compressor before my other pedals. I'm going to try it out at the end of the signal chain just to see the difference. I'm fairly new to the pedal and tone shaping aspect of bass playing. It can definitely get a little confusing trying to figure out where to place everything to achieve the tone im looking for. I appreciate the advice my man. Looking forward to trying something new. The riff at the end is killer. Definitely going to spend some time working on that tonight. Have a good Monday brother Rodney.
Let me know how it's works out, TJ.
@@RodneyMcG will do sir
Compressor first is really important when blending drive and clean. Without it playing dynamics change ratio between them. I personally don't want my playing dynamics to result in volume difference but in a tone difference (play soft for warm sound and dig in for an attack that cuts through). Also it's important to keep consistent low end as without it the whole mix turns into a mess.
I use compression differently in different setups:
1. Since I have four or five basses (some are detuned for certain covers...) that are either active or passive, I think their specific sounds are more levelled that way.
2. If I use a lot of effects in combination in my loop, I tend to put my compressor at the end of the loop.
I’m going to experiment and try to simplify my setup and keep it at the very end of my effects loop for a little while!
Thanks for all the insights!
Glad it gave you some new info. Let me know how it works for you
Drop C for me.
Never used a compression pedal. Just Sansamp.
Great stuff man! Will have to try this out. Been spending more time building the warlock than I have been playing. Holing to get the new frets in tonight.
Oh, man. The part of building I hate the most is fretting! Good luck!
Thank you so much for the compression information! Much to think about there. I also do the "slap tap" thing. I think I just started doing in because I'll move around where I pluck to enhance different frequencies and sounds. So i just found it easier to vary where my plucking hand in a is planted on my bass in a horizontal way than to move my wrist vertically to be in the "proper slap" orientation. Haven't been much into tapping even tho some of my heros do. Ill be taking a bit of a look at your solo thing to start to at least have a little technique to use if I need it
Glad there was helpful content for you this week. 🤘
@@RodneyMcG there always is!!! Thank you sir!!!
Great bass player to check out that uses the tap slap technique is Ryan Martine!!
Yeah, Ryan is on a level all his own.
Another awesome and informative video great work as always. I have also now signed up for the top level Patreon and can't wait for all the extra content. The band I'm in tune to C standard for both Bass and Guitar and seems to work out pretty well for us. I haven't got a separate Compressor but have a built in one in my Bass head and having purchase the Darkglass pedal is also has a low end compressor on it as well.
Thanks again for signing up, Stu. C standard definitely seems popular these days. Is compressor on the Darkglass able to be shut off?
Rodney McG no problem at all hoping to learn lots from the extra bits as currently trying to write new material for my band. You can turn the compression all the way down on the Darkglass unit if you want to which is handy it’s nice being able to have separate controls for the high and low end.
C standard is the definitive Doom/Sludge tuning
Tuning is an interesting subject. It's funny. I noticed Kreator play "Riote Of Violence" in 3 different tunings throughout their career. They started in "C" standard, then D, then later E standard. I prefer that song in D.
I'm a little confused about differentiating between say a drop-D vs. D-standard. If guitar is Drop-D, does bass need to be drop-D also? I tend to like guitars that are tuned down to some degree from standard. The tone always stands out to me as a heavier sound.
They don't both need to be in drop as long as the song is playable in standard. If you are hitting the right notes, that's all that matters.
I appreciate that this is an older video now, but regarding the tapping vs. slapping segment; was Doug Wimbish doing this or something like it when he was with Living Colour?
The first time I ever played something in drop D, I thought it was kind of dumb. It seemed way more flexible to me to just go to D standard for everything. At the cost of sacrificing a couple mostly useless high notes, you can still play most of the E standard stuff (except open string notes of course) just by shifting position a couple frets.
This raises another question, what are your thoughts on using a capo in a lower standard tuning occasionally to get back up to E standard equivalent?
This is true.
"Just try it out." Absolutely! There is no right/wrong/absolute/final word on anything with gear. You have to experiment to find what works best for you. If you don't you're really selling yourself short and limiting your ability to maximize your tone. It's like a writer saying they're only going to use 23 letters or a painter saying they're only going to use a few of the primary colors. Just try it out in every possible configuration.
Well said!
What are some of the bands you mentioned in this video, which have the bass and guitar(s) tuned differently?
very cool episode (as always, really)! hope the patreon/subscribestar thing works out for you.
as for drop-tunings, I prefer Drop-D. I am very much inspired by Tool and since they almost exclusively play in drop d, I kinda "grew up" with that tuning, while learning bass. sounds stupid, but it kinda feels like home, when playing. later I really got into Black Sabbath and Down, so I adopted a lot of C# standard tuning, which I actually like more than the "more popular" Drop-C.
edit: It's a bit off topic, but I always wondered what your thoughts are on buying a "new expensive bass" vs upgrading a cheaper bass with new pickups.
I own a relatively cheap Ibanez bass (~350€) and was thinking about getting new EMG pickups, since the ones that are in the bass lack a certain definition and power, so to speak. the woods are solid and I like the playability, but I am unsure if it's worth it.
I tend towards C# myself. Most of the Voice Of Dissent album is C#. My view on the bass thing is, price is irrelevant. If you have a bass you like, it's the best one for you. I would go for a pickup replacement if you enjoy it. Worst comes to it, you can resell it, or put it in something you buy later. Thanks for the kind words on the channel!
Whats your opinion on up-tunning?
I know only one band that play in F (Vektor and i think because of the vocals)
Whatever sounds good is what I go with. If you like tight and sharp - go for it! If you like and grinding. It's all good too. Keeps everyone from sounding the same!
crap... great topic. i had always problems with compression. i'm usually pop bass player nowadays, but when i played metal it was still 'clean'. so when i had Line6 floorboard it was juz amp+cab sims and then it came to compressors. main issue i have through those years - i use light to mid compression, but that mid, still biased from rehearsal to rehearsal (i'm gonna get back to this) because something is not right. every string is fat, when considering frequencies, but G? C string? even if i play harder they will not sound as good and loud as D string. my luthier setup this bass by intonation, i made up some changes to pickups alteration... still the same. i don't like to have too much compressed sound, so i don't know what to do, especially that Line6 floors can't have comp+limiter at same time.
second thing, that i noticed throughout years... atmospheric pressure. i play rehearsals for many of years in same spot.everyone have their devices setup the same as week before, same setup on instruments, same setup on power amp and same speakers. never we've been hearing us the same, just some time there was a sweet spot that sound blew ust through a tide of music without any thinking about it, because it sounds so well. so for me - compression is a very hard subject even because that silly thing as atmospheric pressure! ("hectopascals" if i said sth wrong :D)
Everything is a variable. And sometimes things don't change, but you hear things different because of your mood, ,health, etc. It's a constantly changing game!
Thanks for the compression breakdown been trying different things with my hyper luminal it's so cool how you can shape your tone. My issue was with my vpjr tuner volume peda and its fx input but I think it got it now. And the second and 3 topic boy I have to learn the fretboard so I can follow better. And yes being part of the chat was great this past weekend really cool ppl on there. Not sure if you have covered this before but when you where talking about box shapes do you have a video on different shape or is it power chord shapes your referring to? Anyway great topic this one and microscope kickass looking forward to more of those 🤘🔥
It's just basic power chord / pentatonic shapes. Basically everything Steve Harris has ever played😉
Any thoughts on Evan Brewer’s tapping technique in the metal scene. I always found it interesting how his style is a little different compared to some of the other metal slap guys.
Even does great stuff. I always saw him as coming from the Stu Hamm school of tap and slap. His melodic sense reminds me a lot of things like Flow My Tears The Policeman Said from SH
always throw my comp after the eq when trying to sculpt tone. creates a convenient box for your peramters to sit in, feel like. everything feels much more balanced but then again that is what a compressor does..
also does this guy have a blue velvet poster??
It's Blade Runner
@@RodneyMcG ahh could i make the mistake! one of the best film/soundtracks ever made for my money. excellent taste and appreciate the tips brother
We play in C#/drop B....I stay in E440. I'm used to it & it sllows me more flexibility, I feel.....We may start switching to C or A, then I'll tune a 2nd bass down......Thoughts??
If you use the compressor built-in to the head, that counts as the end of the chain right? That's the only compressor I've ever used.
So, if doing that it would most likely be more beneficial to try a compressor pedal near the beginning of the chain?
I don't use a compressor pedal currently, but am going to get one and play around with it.
My board currently is: Bass - Tuner - Envelope - Fuzz - Volume - OD - Distortion - Chorus - Phaser - Delay - Amp
Was also thinking of adding an EQ pedal, but not sure where to put it (was thinking near end of the chain to even out the dirt). Have never played with an EQ pedal either because of the EQ on the head....
You need to check the manual. Some heads put the compressor first in the path, and some put it last. It will make a big difference for you
@@RodneyMcG I've looked in the manual and searched the internets for wiring schematics and can't find anywhere saying whether it comes first or last. It's a Hartke LX8500
Email Hartke?
@@RodneyMcG you sir talk too much sense. Lol
@@allnipsrule5135 😂😂😂🤘
Is the EMG shootout still coming?
Indeed it is. Decided to add a bit more to it, and make it more complete.
@@RodneyMcG OOOH, I'm ready.
I dropped a low yield nuke on the like button.
Guitarists everywhere felt a disturbance in The Force...........
🎼🎼🎼👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍